the Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 24, 2004 - AS a WEO OF ANTI-CONSCRIPTION } PARADES. HITS WEST COAST Appeal to Pacific Command Troops _ HEY CAME down from — “. the’ Bitch -Hill bench, . - behind Where the: arena.” ‘now stands, brandishing. - ‘rifles, : pas ‘masks and grenades, -. Soom .1,500.. soldiers. marched * defiantly without officers in front: of: _» .’stdnned Terrace citizens, witnesses. ~ ,. 'to:the single lergeat mutiny in: Cae, ~" nadian history, ep ES “Down’ With Conscription”. ; “Con: script. Wealih and Industry”: “and © *Zatibies Strike Back." * years ago.this week,’ - “The men came’ ‘charging down . “a swam of angry: wasps,” the late Floyd Frank wrote of that day: = places i in’ B.C. with furious soldiers. - ~ Ottawa had drafted them as early.as:‘ 1940-3 ‘promising, they: wouldn't: be" - forced into combat overseas. Now ‘the’ ‘ governmetit: ivas breaking that”: .” promise and Sending: them 0 face,: -Hitler’s armies in Europe.“ oe “soldiers, called “zombies”, protest : ed across B. C. “But i in: “Terrace it went’ muc! See further: Troops took ‘up-arms and | Exkagsdingy 0 defied MSpnnb NS: THEY Seizael ligt “oftthoisands of rounds ‘oF rifle“and™ machine gun ammunition, boxes Of grenades and explosives. ; ‘mounted: on the Bench‘and aimed * ~ al. other parts of the town, 7 -- . A-tense’ standoff ensued ’ and ‘the country’s top military officials” . ‘feared. it. would end in bloodshed, * “* Qnee-the ‘Killing’ began, a line. there. would be ho going back. that day; Lt Col: WB. Hendrie” of -the- Mountain: Warfare: School,” “> fully:avid leave’ the. worst decision to him. ag a : ‘done, to start with, I would do: it, ”. oS he’ told them. - nn supposed. ‘Canada’s’ ‘Own. troops: pointing . » al loaded: Aeapons - ‘and: defying . ; authority: here. It was’ ‘expected to. “ube'the Japanese. an north coast in the weeks after the ate. ; tack: on Pearl Harbour:i in- 1941," ouinds that-a Jap-fleet'is: out: and | ‘around Kodiak. Island,” Lieut, R, ‘Thistle wrote in his. diary Dec. 30. OnE B. Cc. '§ south coast. — Brinice: Rupert. when unideiified ° . “airplanes w were ¢ heard, 5 the slush carrying bannets that read, ee ae oat A special report by Jef Nagel ‘The date was Nov. 25 ioaa— 60 the hill, ‘whooping and shouting like: “any attempt by Japanese: forces to advance inland after a beachhead. .’ Terrace wag just one of several - vlage found themselves : ‘living .in a. niilitary encampment, putnumbered ’ pe “eight-to-one by men in uniform.” -> -} - » In all, 3,000 troops: were. sta- | ‘oned here in three battalions. An. ~: “other - 3,000 construction workers: *“The: conscripted: home” defence ~ came here: too. . - recalls. longtime - Terrace - Rakes | odie Cooper, “Wherever: you. : “ments in town housing: the 15th ln -Six-pound - anti-tank guns were." French-speaking battalion, “were.” “+. -stationed-on the Birch Hill” bench:: The “Prince Edward Island ‘High: ° landers :were camped where Riv: >= -” erside: Park aind the curling tink are: . * how: And the Prince Albert Volun-.°~! _ “teers Were based on the south side would -be irreversibly crossed and -Lallong Hall St ‘betsieen Keith Ave, The: acting<.commander® lier » and Haugland. (the. 135th, Fighter. Squadron and: “the [49th Bomber: Reconnaissance. -” cautioned his officers to tread care Squadron — at. the. alrport, which “Tf there-ivas any shooting to be” © ~and resulting. competition for sup- oO be _ plies and even women — — reportedly, a irritated the locals,» * “Conisistent’ rumour, going the. ; -. chance of Japanese. altack,. and ne * good reason to be kept here, 2. “oo. “The: troops. hated the isolated, | -: invaded the Aleutian Islands ‘and a inefficient: village,” submarine’ had shelled’a Tighthouse o ‘tiny for the city in 1984, “Terrace was not: equipped. lo “ing drill parade, officers. would call on the assembled conscripts lo vol - : unteer. to g0 OVETSCAS: nr “By June 1942, Japanese forces: Air raid -sirens: would sound ‘in “hat le so: many. people and “its. : | ame Was. vused asa a threat | in. nother a 60 years ago this week ; ‘soldiers stationed in Terrace | Staged the largest mutiny in _ Canadian military history & + "anticipating an invasion of the “north eoast, commanders decided to. || deploy a brigade in Terrace to block By. mid-[942, the: several: hun dred’ inhabitants Of the sleepy vil- “They were thick on. the stroets 7 : went, they: were there. It was quite IVT sei stra, inyati: eo There were three Malena: : " Fantry Brigade: - ‘Les’ Fusiliers du St. Laurent, a. There-were also 5 two. RCAF units. was built: for them, | “The :large: numbers of soldiers * There was also fiction Between - - volunteer soldiers. who wanted:to” : “serve ‘overseas and reonseripts who.” ‘Anything seemed) pessibiconthe le t Oné thing wanited thertall: none.° ‘of the: soldiers wanted to be here: ‘And by: late -1944" they: "were!" . convinced. there was no longer any: - “ wrote Karen’ Kuechle, who researched the -mu-™, 7 - Ger pressure to “go active.” i “Ib Was anattempt: to dodge a tepeat of-.the.-riots arid tumult ‘of ~ “the conscription crisis in. the: ‘Fist Just west of town was the: 19h : Wor id War. 7 Canadian Field Ambulance.” .-1940~ but they-would Slay inane, ada for home'defence if they: tid’ t A voluinteer to serve. overseas... cee! foreign war, -Maniy - conscripls said! Gitawa’ “didn't care“ whether : “they. ‘starved REGRUITING poster": ‘Home: Defence conscripts were uns welcome, * -..“Conscription. conscription,” he said. Soldiers were. drafted s siarting in’: :Many refused: : Quebecers especially saw it as a In Terrace,. “every: Saturday dut- -da’s forces iin Europe had taken [ heavy castialties after the-inva-’ °} _. .slons of Naly-arid-France. Rein- =], - yy. “» forcements were, desperate. a A “* dy-needed and Ottawa. was. : running ‘out of options.” a : zombies into combat in in Europe, - Ford of the fen 7 fprime |” td "reached troops | ‘in, that evening.” -officers were’ ‘de-' - . ver for meetings,” - and weren't-here.- - to smooth things over aid maintain discipline Be - cherie hére sensed danger. “There: is:-trouble: brewing,” - wrote Lieut:-Col: ‘Costin.of the.1 9th: " areas of the country Idé ensure ‘the J _ men’s orderliness.. Tt was the Sibe - nia of Canada.” ; Canadian Field: Ambulance i in his ; . ere ‘B,C. emboldened. the ime. Minister “Mackendie ~ troops here: By | p.m. the zombies. - #'King had promised‘he would’ - broke into the ammunition. dump. . never-force any Canadian-to. - ; gO ‘lo war overseas, but! voluntecrs: _ were “if necessary, but.’ not hecessarily.: . any more, up yours, i “show of force... 4 _troops to Refrain From ‘Vancouver, No z Unsoldierly: Ag afosih a "regiment - fromm “If there was ‘nd. response, whe’. 7 -officers called them: yellow-bellied” , ' $.0.B.s and other. such names," Floyd: Frank recalled. Holds Unit in Camp regiment. of NRMA infantry teoin : Saskatchewan, . on. draft “for service By: late-1944, however: Cana] 2 Finally on Nov. 23, with no” waming,” “Mackenzie ., ‘minister's decision ~ Terrace by. radio” “ ; But their Senior . 2 layed in Vancov- « ” On Nov, 24.some of the. Fusile . iers du ‘SL. Laurent ‘refused. to Bo ‘ on panide he j jiinior officers i in. diary: enity { for that day. ‘ “News: reports ‘of ‘protests else- and. séized 50,000 ‘rounds: of °:303° - Fifle shells,’ 15, G00 rouiids: of pistol -. ‘and machiné gun: ammunition and- , Four, boxes of grenades, ‘At-1. p.m. Novi 25, 300. arm”, : “Fusiliers began their. march. down - -intotown from the Bireh Hill berich, © ‘The column: marched: east on Park. ~, Ave. then tuined down Atwood | to Lakelsé Ave... “Similar columns: from ihe other tivo battalions. joined them, They os paraded... for -neatly.”- two” hours “Fhe « lA-year-old “girl “ “They Weren't. being - soldiers com they: were. ‘being: Sloppy and ar- ° rogant,”. she recalts.. “Their whole.” attitude was We! ré notin the army a - Cooper recalls. townsfolk. were “And she: Says one. local woman =the: mother: ‘of. Bob Cooper; ‘who - Edna would later marry ~‘was'in-* ~ censed. to-see “the: troops disgrace “the uniform, *. .. “Bob's: motte, ‘who had: ‘three oof her. boys: in the army. | in thé war, =. stood on the! comer of: Kalum-and. ~ - Lakelse; ‘shook her finger ‘at. them - and “yelled at thém,- telling them:.” _- | they were nol ot doing the rightthing,’ cone she said. "She was. not afraid, And: she” Was r nol going tobe intimidated by ~~ that lot of ruffians.'<2.°:°° Others were tilore supportive, _ 2 “We: sympathized “with them," : ’ Aileen: Frank :recalls. “They: ‘Were ‘told they would. be just home-de-- fence, Then’ they. were:told: they.“ “Were § going overseas, ‘We fell Sorry » forthem.”.~ . Concem about the uprisinig arew © “as the townsfolk realized the muti: ~ neers: had ammunition and: heavy: weapons. “y ‘remember: triy. dad: ‘consider.’ : ing whether: we should leave. town - because ‘there waS°a rumour: “they had‘ trained the guns ‘on. the ammunition dump," . about tht.” ret ey “The next day: ‘Pacif ¢. Coiimand: '' ZOMBIE troops here took this photo of themselves during the mutiny. When officers: regained” * considered ‘bul- ‘rejected a ‘plain to. control, they seized the film. Investigating officers wrote numbers on soldiers' faces, correspond: , ing to a list of names for possible prosecution. But tittle punishment was ever meted out “send- ‘bombers’ over Tettae as a. ~ King’ issued ©. , ‘government | : “order. to. send 16,000.” “Edna Cooper was on 1 Kaluin St. ~. When they’ marched. by... “knew “ something ' was amiss." . during the Depression. Why should a : they fight now? «.- : a + Others. included : “religious. ‘and... conscientious objectors and more” who simply didn't want their name “on dcasualty list: .' aes “ Dubbed “zombies” = they were More curious thati frightened. -: “the -largel of relentless army efforis .to.conyinee them to “go acti ver "and, a “serve overseas. iai n and an 1 Canad an ie, Pacific ca aie inte py. x ttgnne 08 ee cov, BS ic naurlin,’ re ‘arievances soldiers v canis wraueh igh tial of F e. es on me 8 ana} ; cect quniet} on a section Maga been crt Biel 1 be. ne re a ARMED SOLDIERS in Terrace demonstrate a against: “In November, 1944, They. mutinied for most of-a: week: he sald SNfen of a regiment that was due to Jeave Terrace on drait today have been told by. other. Home Defense and due to leave Terrace,!men that ‘If they, prepare to leave dav ynder they’ will be-shot-at, ‘They mean It A_and they: have lenty of amr “the rebelling troons ‘were ure : orisingly welt organized and disci- | _plined. .Leaders'in each camp‘ were ~ “connécied by: Jlelephone’ and Wwire-- less communications. =") Armed: mutinicers: ‘foamed: ‘he! camps: pressuring holdouts lo. join “thems: ve \ tried ta avoid confrontation, ‘onstration -march‘by-zombies and a ‘formal orderto the: units here lo ré-.- “sume normal duties and prepare for * vs ‘Mransfer'to Valcartier, Quebes,. “if. ‘you do not conduct yourself. as in strucled,, you arid’ your families will - hear the responsibility," it warned, “The same day. mutineers tried to. ‘block: the departure: by train of an Z advance! party: of. the: Prince: Albert Volunteers. neat Ata secret Session. af Parliament: “Nov 28, Prime Minister Mackenzie -, ’ King was handed.a message from: “Major-General GR. -Pearkés: "The |” “situation at Terrace cain now dilly be - ” considered’ as. mutiny.” ‘The. prime ; minister ‘the ordered the CBC: to... . sensor hews of the incident...” orders. . | — Nov, 27 -brought*another dem: * . The-‘last. act happened ‘Nov. ne: 29. when die-hard: mutineers: tried = again but failed 16 block the depar . “lure of: the: last of; the, Prince Albert 7 a finishing the ware was. a rermiarkably quiet eid _ E an incident: that’ could have. ‘ easily. turned ‘bloody. ros A court of inquiry. found the Fu. . ‘sillers du St. Lauretit instigated the: miutiny and were its-‘driving' force: Even. the: “unit” $ officers,, testifying: to the inquiry, were evasive: when 7 Officers hére kepi thie cool and : ‘ askedsyho the ringleaders: were. “The findings blamed-the failure —- ‘to take immediate action, when ‘the. _-fitst-Fusillers began 19 disobey, and “the failure to. swifll | _ munition stockpiles,” “